This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the generation of atomic and molecular negative ion beams, either pulsed or continuous beams.
The production of beams of atomic and molecular negative ions is of considerable interest in diverse areas of atomic, molecular, and plasma physics. Such beams are required for fusion plasma heating, heavy ion inertial-confinement fusion, and in basic atomic and molecular scattering studies. The types of sources for ion production are many and varied, involving both plasma and surface-plasma interactions.